Cover Hong Kong actor Julien Cheung Chi-lam looking at what is believed to be the earliest object with a Chinese dragon shape at the Hong Kong Palace Museum (Photo: courtesy of Hong Kong Palace Museum)
Hong Kong actor Julien Cheung Chi-lam looking at what is believed to be the earliest object with a Chinese dragon shape at the Hong Kong Palace Museum (Photo: courtesy of Hong Kong Palace Museum)
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Actor Julien Cheung Chi-lam lends his voice to the audio guide of ‘The Origins of Chinese Civilisation’ exhibition at Hong Kong Palace Museum
The Hong Kong Palace Museum is hosting The Origins of Chinese Civilisation, an exhibition that features nearly 110 archaeological treasures spanning 5,000 years, from the Neolithic period to the Xia Dynasty (circa 2070–1600 BC). This remarkable collection will be on display until February 7, 2025, inviting visitors to explore the rich tapestry of China’s ancient heritage.
One of the exhibition’s highlights is a jade dragon, believed to be the earliest dragon-shaped object in China, hailing from the mid to late Hongshan era (6,000-5,000 BC).
These artefacts are on loan from 14 museums and archaeological institutions in China, such as Beijing, Gansu, Liaoning and Shanxi. Nearly all of them are displayed in Hong Kong for the first time.
Above Julien Cheung Chi-lam has recorded the audio guide for this exhibition at HKPM (Photo: courtesy of Hong Kong Palace Museum)
Julien Cheung Chi-lam has recorded the audio guide for this exhibition at HKPM (Photo: courtesy of Hong Kong Palace Museum)
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For the exhibition, the Hong Kong Palace Museum invited local actor and singer Julien Cheung Chi-lam to narrate the audio guides of some of the exhibits and a video that takes the audience back to the ancient times.
The actor has a deep interest in culture, art and history. “I have my own art collection. From time to time, I participate in art-themed variety shows in mainland China,” he says. “I am interested in museum work too. This is the first time I record an audio guide for an exhibition, which is very new and challenging. I am honoured to be a part of it.”
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Above Curator of the show Dr Raphael Wong takes Julien Cheung Chi-lam on a tour of the exhibition at HKPM (Photo: courtesy of Hong Kong Palace Museum)
Curator of the show Dr Raphael Wong takes Julien Cheung Chi-lam on a tour of the exhibition at HKPM (Photo: courtesy of Hong Kong Palace Museum)
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Cheung, known for playing role of a pilot in the TVB series Triumph in the Skies (2003) and a wuxia hero in The Legend of the Condor Heroes (1994), has never played the role of an archaeologist before. “It takes a lot of imagination when I did the narration. The content is quite academic, and unlike acting, there isn’t a co-star to interact with you. Some of the names are quite difficult to read too,” he says.
This doesn’t deter him from taking up the job. “I’m fascinated by the stories behind the artefacts, especially those with a more mysterious shape or appearance, such as the jade dragons and owls, pottery pieces carved with the image of a man holding a fish, and stone carvings with a human face,” he says. “I am curious as to how these motifs came about 5,000 years ago, and I learnt from doing the audio guide it was related to the worship of animals by our ancestors, and that they already had a rich spiritual life.”
Above A jade pig dragon (6,000–5,000 BC) is one of the earliest artefacts reflecting the worship of dragons in China (Photo: courtesy of Hong Kong Palace Museum)
Above A C-shaped jade dragon (6,000–5,000 BC) with a long snout and a mane, which is regarded as one of the earliest representations of a Chinese dragon (Photo: courtesy of Hong Kong Palace Museum)
A jade pig dragon (6,000–5,000 BC) is one of the earliest artefacts reflecting the worship of dragons in China (Photo: courtesy of Hong Kong Palace Museum)
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He feels the exhibition demonstrates China’s rich culture and artistic history. “I hope that the audience will enjoy my audio guide, which allows them to listen to the festinating tales of the artefacts in an in-depth manner while appreciating the pieces up-close,” he says.
This experience has further inspired him to share his own art collection with the public someday with an exhibition. “This audio guide project is my first museum work, which has given me a better understanding of Hong Kong’s museums and exhibition curatorship,” he says. “And I’m pleased to see that there is room for cross-disciplinary collaboration between actors and museums.”
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Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
